I don't think I could ever block a window--I need light and ventilation! On my block, there is a house where a bed frame and I think the edge of a bookcase or dresser is in front of a window. I would not want to have to climb on the bed to open and close the window.

Depends on how well I like the piece of furniture, how nice of a piece it is, and how long I plan to live in the apartment. I'm getting rid of a desk that doesn't fit my layout, but it's IKEA and particleboard the craigslist find I'm replacing it with is so much cuter.

My Cedar chest, on the other hand, is still in a kind of awkward position, but I would never, ever dream of getting rid of it, especially since I'm in grad school and probably won't be in this apartment more than 2 or 3 more years.

Those albums in the bookcase under the window are going to warp from heat and or cold. In answer to the question though, I wouldn't put an armoire in front of a window unless there were other windows in the room to compensate for the blocked light and air. I also would want the back of the piece to look interesting in some way. I vote for light over furniture.

I have walls of windows so it was not practical to not put any furniture in front of them -that said it did feel awkward at first. I just have have one piece directly against the windows - my desk armoire and it does have a finished back.

I don't think I'd ever cover a window with furniture, it takes away from the architectural features of the room and makes the space not feel right. And of course sunlight brings warmth into out interior spaces much more than artificial light ever can, I would never want to compromise that.

I don't think I'd ever block a window with an armoire. I try to keep my windows as open and accessible as possible. I'm not always successful, right now my couch sticks out about 5 inches in front of my patio door. It doesn't prevent me from using it, and most people probably don't even notice.

I would never block a window. The windows in what is supposed to be the living room are huge, and spans etnire walls. None of our living room furniture would fit there without blocking the windows, so we turned it into the bedroom. My friends make fun of me, but we love the arrangement, and most importantly, none of the windows are obfuscated.

In our living room the couch is in front of of a large window, pulled out about 6 in with long drapes behind it. There's no other wall in the livingroom to fit a couch, plus we don't open the drapes since they face the neighbors.

The new bedframe arriving this week (yaay!) will also be put in front of a window. Decided to get a king size bed even though room is only 11'x11'... husband and I don't mind the look of a large bed in a little space, the frame will cover some of the window but we are doing it so it looks purposeful rather than sloppy.

I would never block a window - EVER!!! When we were first married we rented a furnished home in a local seaside town. there was a huge dresser in front of the window. First thing we did was move it (and lift the orange carpet, but that's a whole nother story!). Hello, our house was right over the ocean where we could see whales playing all winter... The owners said we were mad and all the bright sunlight would drive us mad... Loved it, never shut the curtains either - lots of light and air and ocean and only whales to see in anyway!!!

Well, a nice easy chair or sofa in front of a window so that I can sit in the sunshine, sure.

Tell those neighbors who you are, and offer to rearrange their furniture for them. Then post the before & afters, here.

The only thing I'd block a window with is a bed with a high headboard. Anything else in any other room is trashy.

I envy all those people who live in large enough spaces that they can afford to leave a large section of wall furniture free. Windows are not "untouchable" in and of themselves, there is often a bigger picture (if not a bigger room).

In my bedroom I have a large chest of drawers that blocks the bottom 20cm (8 inches) of three-quarters of the only window. Although I have sheer net curtains it can just about be seen from outside. If I didn't have the chest of drawers there I would literally not be able to have it at all, as this is the only possible furniture arrangement in this room. Although I have sacrificed some of the window, and some daylight, overall the furniture balance of the room is optimum the way it is so it's more than worth it.

My desk sits in front of our living room's set of double windows - the top goes up for more storage (luckily no back to it) so it covers up part of one of them. But with the no back light still gets through.

Honestly, I try not to cover up windows with furniture - for the most part if it goes in front of the window, it's shorter than the ledge.

I try not to block windows but my bed covers up about a quarter of the window in my bedroom. It is a long, narrow room so there's no other arrangement that will work...unless I want to turn my bed 90 degrees and climb over it to crank open the window! I don't mind my arrangement though, it's nice waking up to a face full of sunshine. Well, except when a hangover's involved...

I wouldn't want to block a window unless I really had no ther choice. But, in our house we do have to be careful what we put in front of the window. Our dogs see neighbors or cars and jump up on whatever is there to see out the window! We have a couch there now and they are scratching it. We are working on finding something they won't harm or knock over!

I place furniture UNDER windows all the time, and occasionally it may cover the bottom couple inches of the window. But I'd never put furniture in FRONT of a window... that's just crazy! Notable exceptions made for those with walls of windows, that's understandable. ;o)

I also have walls of windows...I just try to keep the items low and unobtrusive. In my living room, I have a low west elm walton sectional in front of windows to the patio, and in my office I have a non-clunky desk.

Heck no! I saw that on an ep of something on HGTV and this had this big ugly china cabinet blocking the only window in their tacky dining room & a dresser in the bedroom! That is insane to me; I love natural light coming in the house. I might block an inch or so of a window with a shorter item, but that's it.

Block a window?! My little condo cave has one East facing Window and East facing door with glass in it. The west facing window is a basement window. I'm staved for light and could never block a window.

My boyfriend's parents have a giant entertainment center blocking one window in their living room, a tall hutch in front of the only window in the dining room, and refrigerator blocking the kitchen window. Seriously.

I do not like blocked windows. It especially bugs me when I go by an old building with big "window shopping" windows that have been boarded up add shelf space to a store. I couldn't imagine living or working in a place without windows.

No blocking here. It would cover up the retarded amount I am willing to spend on curtain fabric.

I agree blocking light is a bad thing, but we have our Ikea Expedit shelves in front of the window and it actually serves as a great spot. It keeps the room balanced, the light still comes through, and it serves the added purpose of filtering the view over the carpark opposite our apartment.

That window doesn't get much light so the records are fine (it's my window :)) I just made curtains for it based on a picture I probably saw on this blog.
I'm not a fan of blocking windows but I love when a piece of furniture fits well underneath one. It's built in day time lighting for your knickknacks. Plus the casement windows in our apartment are not so pretty so it's nice to draw the eye away from them a bit. My desk is also under a window. I love being able to look out the window while I'm working. The window ledge acts as storage for my pencils and paintbrushes.

We have a cable connection for our television that requires the television to sit in the bottom of one side of the window. I can't move it and to minimize the block, I have it on a LOW stand and off to the side. Sometimes life happens. Fortunately, we have two GIANT 72 inch windows in the room so light isn't really a problem and the sun doesn't rise or set on the side where the TV sits. They just didn't design houses in the 50's for modern conveniences!